[GAME] Halloween traditions around the world!

[Jenny]

Hello everyone!

October has rushed by and my favourite time of the year, Halloween, is almost upon us!

Like the (very scary) film says… “I want to play a game”.  

The rules are very simple:

I’m going to share Halloween-adjacent traditions from around the world, and you can tell me where they originate from.

Here we go!

1. Dracula's Day 
2. Ognissanti - Italy
3. Teng Chieh 
4. Barriletes gigantes (or the festival of giant kites) - Guatemala
5. The Carnival of Saint-Martin (Sint-Maarten) - St Maarten / Belgium
6. Samhuinn - Ireland / Scotland
7. Fet Gede 
8. Día de los muertos - Mexico
9. Dia das Bruxas
10. Guy Fawkes Day - United Kingdom / Australia
11. Pangangaluluwa 
12. Kawasaki Halloween Parade
13. Dzień Zaduszny
14. Pitru Paksha
15. Awuru Odo Festival
16. Gai Jatra
17. Pchum Ben
18. Kukeri
19. Totensonntag - Germany / Switzerland
20. Jum il-Mejtin 
21. Chuseok

I hope you enjoy playing!

Take care,

Jenny 🎃🕸️👻

[Jenny]

YES!

You are correct @Gillian166,  and you get a bonus for the correct way to say it!  

There's a Samhuinn Fire Festival up in Edinburgh (about 40 mins by train for me) each 31st of October.  It's AMAZING.  I took part in it one year, sadly not as a fire performer, but I did get to run around dressed as a flame and get people to throw donations into a bucket.  It's a lot more organised these days, and it's ticketed.

[Gillian166]

@Jenny  No standing stones and time travel? 

[Jenny]

Hahahaha if ONLY @Gillian166 !  I just did a search online and there are 80 ancient stones in my area... surely one of them would work... right? 

I did have a bit of a laugh when I found out that the stones used for Outlander are made of styrofoam 🤣 but I suppose they won't want to cause any disturbance to real ones.

[Gillian166]

@Jenny  my mum and I want to do a girls trip to Scotland, because: Outlander. I've been once before but now we have a new reason. 🙂 I'll be touching every **bleep** standing stone i find, must remember to travel during a solstice of course 😉 

the town of Glen Innes in nsw has built their own standing stones tourist attraction ....
https://gleninneshighlands.com/australian-standing-stones.html

[Jenny]

That will be one epic girl's trip!

I love what Glen Innes has done, it looks like an absolutely gorgeous area!

[Laurelle3]

@Gillian166 thanks for highlighting the ring of stones built in Glen Innes. We will have to add it to our stopover trip next time going north. Another good read and great evening photos of the stones from different angles.

[Gillian166]

@Laurelle3  they do a Celtic festival every year (double check that, it might be biannual). 

[Laurelle3]

@Jenny we are learning again from around the world what a challenge.

No 4 the Barrieletes gigantes (giant kites).

It is a cultural event for Mayan communities in Guatemala to communicate with the dead for peace, hope and companionship with the living  The colourful kites are made of natural materials, bamboofor the frame and then woven with cloth, rope and colourful paper. 

The festival date is 1st November and the giant kites are transported to respective sites and hoisted upwards and supported to structually stand by themselves because of the size of the kites they dont fly. 

I have obtained the information from the internet there are several sites. Again we are learning about different cultures and traditions from around the world.

[Jenny]

Nicely done @Laurelle3 - you're correct!  And thank you for the extra information and awesome image to go with it.  So colourful!

[Till-and-Jutta0]

(19) Well, the Totensonntag is a so-called quiet religious (Protestant) holiday in Germany and Switzerland, this year on November 20, 2022. It's the last Sunday of the Church Year, before Advent starts, and dedicated to our loved ones who have died. You see people caring for the family tombs on the graveyards.

[Jenny]

Nicely done @Till-and-Jutta0 - great to see you getting involved in my game! 

[Laurelle3]

@Till-and-Jutta0 their seems to be a familar theme with this game. People thinking about, respecting and remembering their loved ones who has died. Even though we speak different languages and some dress differently with their cultural customes but those who paticipate have a common belief and faith in the spirits of their loved ones.

[Kushnirov0]

I congratulate everyone on a good holiday

[Dale711]

Hi @Jenny 

All Saint’ Day or Toussaint ~ France / Ognissanti ~ Italy

It a big day and the special times for honoring the dead. 

Oganissanti  also known as Tutti Santi is a public holiday on the November 1st, meaning that the country school and public offices will be closed.

In Italy and France, this is  a particularly important day, when people gather to visit family graves.

Ognissanti or Toussaint can be very important moments for families. We can spend a day together in a respectful atmosphere. Visit the cemeteries and put the flowers on the graves.

[Jenny]

Correct, @Dale711! Thanks for coming to take part in my game!